A Fresh Expression where a bank & church serve the community together

Nineteen years ago a historic church located at the Lambert South tube station in London was purchased by a bank. Since that time the community has flipped and is now primarily people who moved to the city from all over Great Britain and the world. They are struggling to assimilate, get good jobs, care for their children and rebuild their lives.

The bank's main customers moved to other areas and it was struggling like the community. That's when a Fresh Expression team from the Anglican Church brought a plan to the bank. Oasis Church proposed to team up with the bank. The church would open a childcare center on an empty floor of the bank bldg. The bank would work with the church to offer accounts, financial advice and planning, and low-interest loans to the newcomers so they could start small businesses needed in the struggling community. The church would hold Sunday worship in the bank's conference room; counseling and daily prayer services before the bank opened; family activities, singles gatherings and language classes in the evenings.

The arrangement worked so well the church & bank then teamed up to open the Hub Coffee House. It provided a safe, inviting place for newcomers to gather. The church has a financial info carousel in the cafe and the church set up a reading table on prayer, parenting, following Christ, marriage and dealing with depression, addiction & health. The pastor and trained laity hang out and work the cafe so they can engage people & answer questions prompted by Art, posters and services advertised there.

After 5 years, they worship 70-125 people a week. The childcare center is full at 90. The pastor has baptized about 3 dozen new believers. They have had 62 complete the Alpha class. 21 new businesses have been launched in the community & 18 have succeeded, employing over 80 people. There is high turnover in the church due to constant relocation of the people moving thru this community. Yet due to their early partnership with the bank, the church became self-supporting in 18 months.